Dynon SkyView Network Hub
Available at Aircraft Spruce
A new network connection device, the SV-NET-HUB, is now available
to make it easier to install the SkyView system. With five
network ports, it allows easier connection between multiple SkyView
modules. The hub can be conveniently mounted where additional network
connections are required. One port can connect to a SkyView display,
leaving four ports available for connection to the ADAHRS, EMS module,
and autopilot servos. Call 1 (877) 4‑SPRUCE or
visit AircraftSpruce.com.

PILOT
LOSES SUPREME COURT CASEIt was wrong for the Social Security
Administration to give
confidential medical information about a pilot to the FAA, but that
pilot can't sue the government for emotional distress, the U.S. Supreme
Court ruled recently. In a 5-to-3 decision (PDF) issued on March 28, the justices overturned a
ruling by a California court and said the government could be held
liable only for financial damages such as losses and expenses. The
dissenting justices wrote that the majority view makes it too easy for
the government to go ahead and invade individual privacy without
consequences. "That is not the result Congress intended when it enacted
an Act with the express purpose of safeguarding individual privacy
against Government invasion," wrote Justice Sonia Sotomayor.
More...

Lycoming & Continental
Aircraft Starters: Aviation-Manufactured, OEM-Endorsed, &
Factory-Installed  For Over 20 Years
TCM supplier Hartzell Engine Technologies introduces the zero
back torque M-Drive starter  the best lightweight
starter designed to start even the hardest-cranking large-bore TCM
engines while safely disengaging from the starter adapter.
Lycoming-chosen E-Drive starters from Hartzell Engine
Technologies are unaffected by kick-backs, saving hours of service time
and replacement costs along with the best warranty available 
two-year unlimited!

ROTAX:
LONGER TBOs THANKS TO ELECTRONICS?It could work out that out
way, say Rotax engineers. At a press briefing on the company's new 912
iS at Aero Friedrichshafen on Wednesday, Rotax officials told the
assembled press that the new engine is flying in at least six of the
dozen or so aircraft it had on display at its Gunskirchen, Austria
rollout last month. The 912 iS features dual electronic fuel injection,
electronic ignition and future knock sensing and protection. It's
equipped with two self-exciting permanent magnet alternators for
redundancy and can deliver 100 HP on either avgas or up to E10 mogas.
More...

GARMIN
EXPANDS EURO-CHARTING Garmin Wednesday announced it has
expanded its electronic chart coverage of European VFR terminal charts
and SafeTaxi airport diagrams for specific products. EASA is expected
"within weeks" to approve European SafeTaxi for Garmin G500, G600,
G500H, G1000, G1000H, G900X, G950, and GMX 200 units. The expanded
coverage will include diagrams for almost 500 European airports spread
through 15 countries. European VFR terminal charts with data for
over 2,200 airports in 29 countries will be integrated into aera 795/796
portables. The database includes Visual Approach, Landing and Area
Charts, plus aerodrome directory, communications and regulatory
information. Pricing depends on how pilots choose or are able to
upgrade. More...

AIR
FORCE TO PILOTS: SLOW DOWNThe Air Force is "the largest
energy user in the federal government," last year added $1 billion in
costs due to rising oil prices and, now, a range of changes may be
coming to help curtail that. The Air Force operates a fleet of
approximately 4,700 aircraft. To save fuel, pilots of some of those
aircraft are being ordered to fly higher and slower on some missions,
Stars and Stripes reported, Monday. Diplomatic efforts have created
more direct routes of travel and last year saved $2.4 million, deputy
assistant secretary of the Air Force for energy, Kevin Geiss,
said. And the Air Force will update some aircraft with more
efficient engines -- with more complicated results. For example, the
cost-benefit accounting reported by Stars and Stripes says that swapping
engines on KC-135s will incur a bill of $278 million dollars spread over
several years and translate to fuel savings of $150 million over the
life of the aircraft. In that case, the Air Force is forecasting other
benefits. More...

DOOLITTLE
RAID ON TOKYO REMEMBEREDSeventy years ago,
on April 18, 1942, the U.S. launched its first-ever air raid against
Japan, led by Lt. Col. James H. Doolittle from the aircraft carrier
Hornet. In a top-secret operation, 16 B-25Bs, representing the latest
bomber technology, were loaded onto the Hornet in Alameda, Calif., on
April 2, and headed across the Pacific. After encountering a Japanese
patrol boat, the airplanes launched earlier than planned -- 650 nm from
the Japanese mainland. None of the airplanes made it back, but of the 80
crewmen, all but four eventually returned home. This week, the five
surviving Doolittle Raiders were honored at the Gathering of B-25s at
Grimes Field in Urbana, Ohio. The National Museum of the U.S. Air Force,
at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, near Dayton, Ohio, is hosting
commemorative events through Friday. More...

Fly the Eclipse Twin-Engine
Jet at the Eclipse Jet ExperienceEclipse Aerospace is coming to a city near you and will have the
Eclipse twin-engine jet with them. Don't miss this incredible
opportunity to see and fly the most technologically advanced
light jet aircraft in general aviation. After one hour of ground school
on the Eclipse Jet avionics system, you will take to the skies with an
Eclipse pilot, sitting in the co-pilot seat as a qualified Eclipse pilot
shows you the avionics system in practice. You will fly the Eclipse
Jet and acquire a foundational understanding of the aircraft.Click here to learn more!

NEW
CHANCES TO SEE THE SHUTTLE(S)The Space Shuttle Enterprise is
scheduled to on April 23 fly low over New York City mounted atop a
modified Boeing 747, but you could get an even closer look, right now,
thanks to high-definition internet technology. The Enterprise flight is
expected to take place between 9:30 and 11:30 a.m., weather and other
concerns permitting. And the full journey is set to bring the vehicle up
the Hudson River twice -- once at low altitude, and a second time,
literally on the deck. The flight will pass the Statue of Liberty and
then Enterprise's new home, the Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum. The
second trip, from JFK to the Intrepid, may be just as spectacular. If
you can't be there to witness either, some new Shuttle-based "extreme
detail" eye-candy, courtesy of National Geographic, will be better.
(Click through for links.) More...

PIPISTREL
UNVEILS PANTHERAOne of the major product announcements at
Aero 2012 in Friedrichshafen is a fast. efficient four-place design from
Slovenia. Pipistrel unveiled its Panthera and aims to take a slice of
the high-speed cruiser market from Cirrus with an aircraft it says will
cruise at 200 knots on 10 gallons an hour of unleaded gas for 1,000 nm
with all the seats filled. The fully-equipped aircraft will sell for
less than $500,000, well below the list price for a decked out SR22.
"Panthera will shake the World of General Aviation, setting the
benchmark for efficiency, cabin comfort and safety for others to
follow," said Pipistrel CEO Ivo Boscarol. This is Pipistrel's first
foray into the Part 91 world with a fully certified aircraft and there
were some unique challenges in that process. More...

REPORT:
CIRRUS READY TO MOVE AHEAD WITH JETCirrus Aircraft has
secured most of the financing it needs to move forward with development
of its single-engine personal jet, with production expected to start in
Duluth, Minn., in 2015, the Minnesota Star-Tribune reported on Tuesday. Cirrus
CEO Dale Klapmeier declined to tell the Star-Tribune just how much cash
had been secured from new owners CAIGA (China Aviation Industry General
Aircraft Co.), but said it will cover most of the projected development
cost, which has previously been estimated at $150 million. "It has been
a struggle to keep this program moving forward," Klapmeier told the
Star-Tribune. "It has been a struggle just to survive." Cirrus had said
last week that it would reveal a major announcement at the Aero
Friedrichshafen show in Germany on Wednesday. More...

DIAMOND'S
DA52 A CENTERPIECEEven before the Aero opened on Wednesday,
Diamond's new DA52 twin was drawing a lot of attention. During a
pre-show press tour, Diamond's chief test pilot Ingmar Mayerbuch said on
the flight into Friedrichshafen from Diamond's Wiener Nuestadt, Austria
factory, the airplane burned only 60 liters of Jet A to fly about 260
miles. (For the metrically challenged, that's about 16.6 MPG and notable
economy for any airplane, much less a twin.) The DA52 is powered by two
180-horsepower variants of the Austro AE300 diesel engines that
Diamond's sister company, Austro AG, developed specifically for the
airplane. More...

CIRRUS
ANNOUNCES DETAILS OF JET PROGRAMThe Vision SF50 personal jet
program is now fully funded through certification and initial
production, Cirrus announced on Wednesday at the Aero Friedrichshafen
show in Germany. CAIGA, which acquired Cirrus last year, will cover all
the costs. First customer delivery is expected in 2015, according to
Cirrus. CEO Dale Klapmeier said the announcement is a "milestone" for
the company. "Our new owners are actively partnering with Cirrus
while providing substantial resources for us to meet and exceed our
shared goals as we build an entire family of Cirrus aircraft," he said.
The jet is priced at $1.72 million until July 1, when the price goes up
to $1.96 million. More...

Fly More for
Less
Visit the AVbuys page for discounts, rebates, incentives,
bargains, special offers, bonus depreciation, or tax benefits to help
stretch your budget. We're helping you to locate and view current offers
instantly, with a direct link to sponsors' web sites for details.

PODCAST:
CERTIFICATION MADE EASY?The General Aviation
Manufacturing Association is working with regulators all over the world
to lower one of the biggest barriers to bringing new aircraft to market.
GAMA's Greg Bowles told AVweb's Paul Bertorelli the goal
is to cut certification costs in half for many general aviation
aircraft. More...

Peter Drucker
Says,"The Best Way to Predict the Future Is to Create
It"
It's easy for your company to be more proactive, flexible, and
entrepreneurial with AVweb's cost-effective marketing
programs. Discover the benefits of instant response, quick copy
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decision-makers weekly,
click now for details.

Our latest "FBO of the Week" ribbon is a joint award to
the civic-minded folks at Gama Aviation and Blue Sky Flight
School on the campus of Igor
I. Sikorsky Memorial Airport (KBDR) in Stratford, Connecticut.
AVweb reader Bud Turner recently enlisted Gama and Blue
Sky on behalf of some future pilots:

I'm an Aviation Merit Badge Counselor for the Boy Scouts of
America. When e-mails went out from the local EAA Young Eagles chapter
looking for volunteers, Tom Miller, himself an Eagle Scout, immediately
offered up Gama's hangar and provided pizza for the boys for lunch. In
addition, Mike Becker from Blue Sky Flight School donated a Grumman
Tiger for three hours, and one of his CFIs signed up to take the boys up
for a flight up and down the Connecticut coast line. Bravo Zulu to both
for the outstanding support of the BSA and Young Eagle
programs!

AVwebFlash is a twice-weekly summary of the
latest news, articles, products, features, and events featured on
AVweb, the
world's premier independent aviation news resource.

The
AVwebFlash team is:

PublisherTom Bliss

Editorial Director,
Aviation PublicationsPaul
Bertorelli

Editor-in-ChiefRuss Niles

Contributing
EditorsMary GradyGlenn Pew

WebmasterScott Simmons

ContributorsKevin Lane-CummingsJeff Van West

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